Brute
The Jiralhanae, referred by humans as Brutes, are a large, bipedal, ape-like client species of the Covenant. Overview and Background Brutes are a physically imposing species of simian origin, resembling large gorillas with ursine, rhinoceros and alien features. They have a large, stocky build (a result of the increased gravity of their home planet) and a thick skin covered with matted, fur-like hair. The colour of this skin and hair is indicative of their age; younger Brutes are notable for having a wide variety of skin colours including various shades of tans, browns and reds, while hair typically comes in black, brown, dark red or blonde. Both the skin and hair gradually lose their pigmentation as a Brute continues to age, the former becoming increasingly lighter and greyer, while the latter gradually becomes greyish-silver (which is considered to be a sign of respect within the Brutes' culture). Ever since their integration into the Covenant, the Brutes have been viewed with contempt by the Elites due to their primitive, monomaniacal nature. As such, deliberate steps have been taken to put the Brutes at a military and hierarchical disadvantage within the Covenant Empire. However, with the initiation of the Human-Covenant War, the High Prophets decreed that as every member of the Covenant deserves to earn their right to partake in the Great Journey, the Brutes were to be provided with a greater degree of control in the military, allowing them to commandeer their own ships and accompany groundside campaigns. However, this newfound freedom is merely a small step in the High Prophet of Truth's master plan to have the more subservient Brutes eventually supplant the Elites, placing the former in key military positions/assets for the day that control is to be forcefully seized from the latter. Having enjoyed their uncontested dominance within the Covenant society and military, the Elites have not welcomed this incursion of the Brutes upon their military operations, continuing to exercise their disdain through other means; Brutes are only deployed to the battlefield either as frontline cannon fodder or reserve troops, the latter which only occurs should the Elites fail in completing a mission objective. Their weaponry primarily consists of outdated models of existing Covenant firearms (another of the Elites' countermeasures enacted to stifle the Brutes' influence within the military), however, they're also permitted by the Prophets to use to their traditional, pre-Covenant-based weaponry such as the Brute Shot and the Piercer. However, they can be found wielding Particle Carbines and Focus Rifles in some situations. Brutes are also shown to express a fondness for the ballistic nature of UNSC weaponry and (given the circumstances), will take the opportunity to do acquire these weapons either as trophies or for personal use. Rank Structure, Weaponry and Equipment Gameplay Information General Despite the majority of their combatants lacking energy shielding and basic armour plating, Brutes more than make up for it with their natural durability; they can absorb large amounts of both ballistic and plasma fire before perishing and are capable of shrugging off some explosive weaponry. However, Brutes are extremely vulnerable to weapons capable of performing headshots, as their only form of protection against them are helmets which can absorb only a few shots before it is destroyed, the durability of each helmet being determined by the Brute's rank. Brute Commanders are unique in that they possess Brute Power Armour. This armour projects a personal energy shield around the Brute in a similar manner to that of an Elite, but cannot recharge after absorbing damage. The shield transitions from blue to a bright red as it weakens, and once collapsed the armour generating the shield will overload and destroy itself. While still possessing the physical resilience of standard Brutes, Commanders stripped of their shields possess zero additional protection to any part of its body. This includes the head, leaving an unshielded Commander especially vulnerable to a headshot. Brute Chieftains are the toughest and most well-protected rank of Brute. Their Power Armour projects an extremely durable energy shield which, once collapsed, does not destroy the armour underneath. This armour protects large sections of the Chieftain's body from ballistic/plasma fire and from being stuck by Plasma Grenades, on top of being virtually indestructible. The only armour piece that can be destroyed is the Chieftains headdress, which can take the most punishment of any Brute-worn helmet. Brutes are frequently encountered in packs, which consist of either: a varying number of Brutes (typically one to three) leading a squad of lesser Covenant species (much like a standard Elite-led squad); or large squads consisting almost entirely of Brutes, led by either several Leaders/Commanders or a single Chieftain. Strategy A general strategy is to use an energy weapon to strip their helmets before headshotting them. An advanced strategy is to juggle multiple stunlocked Brutes with a head-shot weapon. When dealing with Brute Commanders, plasma weapons and EMP's are very useful for collapsing their shields. Like most other enemies, Plasma Grenade sticks and assasinations are instant kills. Brutes are also particularly vulnerable to Needler and Shredder detonations. Chieftains, though rarely encountered, are generally challenging enemies. They always use Hunter Shade Cannons, dealing heavy damage very quickly. Heavy weapons are best for dealing with Chieftains, anything that can kill them quickly. Headshot weapons can be effective, as can plasma based weapons for their Power Armour, but explosive weapons, like the M41 Rocket Launcher or Brute Shot, are more desirable options. Hunter Fuel Rod Cannons are also useful. The Sniper Rifle can dispatch Chieftains without too much trouble by aiming for the head, but this is only a viable option at long range, since their aggressivness can easily overwhelm players trying to perfom precision aiming. Chieftain Lapidus In The Commander and The Commander: Evolved, a particular Brute Chieftain is featured called Lapidus. Lapidus is the only Brute in SPV3 whose personality can be witnessed first hand. Although still classed in-game as a regular Brute Chieftain, he has his own charatcer model, wearing custom Power Armour that is black instead of gold with a unique looking ornamental headdress. Like other Brute Chieftains, his weapon of choice is a Hunter Shade Cannon in both missions. Depending on which mission is played, he can be portrayed sympathetically (The Commander) or antagonistically as a rival to Thel 'Vadamee (The Commander: Evolved). In both missions, he is fought as an enemy. In The Commander, he appears a Flood Combat Form. Other than wearing his Power Armour, he acts like, and is a strong as, a regular Brute Combat Form. His armour is as strong as a Brute Commander's. In The Commander: Evolved, however, Lapidus is fought alive as a boss type enemy, the fight being inspired by the final battle against Tartarus in Halo 2. Like Tartarus, he is naturally extremely durable, and his Power Armour almost impenetrable, making him much stronger than a regular Brute Chieftain. He is immune to all damage while his armour is active. The only weapon that can overload his armour is the Energy Sword, available to players only in the 2 Commander missions. His custom Power Armour is unique among Brutes as it will reactivate after a certain amount of time has passed from collapsing, much like an Elite's energy shields. The best strategy for defeating Lapidus in The Commander: Evolved is to knock out his armour with the Energy Sword and stick him with Plasma Grenades or Needle Grenades. He will actively avoid grenades however, so players must be tactical when throwing them. Normal weapons have moderate effects against him and, other than being necessary to collapse his shields, the Energy Sword is almost useless against him, making him the only enemy in SPV3 who is able to withstand the Energy Sword. Developer Information TBA Trivia * Brute dialogue is sourced from Halo 2. While combat dialogue such as pain/death sounds and berserk vocalisations are untouched, their spoken dialogue has been reversed similarly to the Elite dialogue. This makes them sound more alien like. ** In The Commander: Evolved, along with Jackals, their alien dialogue is replaced with english spoken phrases. This is because the player character of the mission, Thel 'Vadamee, would presumably understand them. * The word "Jiralhanae" is a Korean word that roughly means "behaves like a stupid aggressive lunatic," which describes the Jiralhanae' aggressive personality. * The "-us" suffix on the end of Jiralhanae names is derived from Latin, which designates something as masculine. * Their body models are based primarily on their Halo 2 appearance. However, their armour designs are stripped down/modified versions of the Brute Power Armour used in Halo 3. * In SPV3.0 the Brute Commanders would use Brute Plasma Pistols, however they were replaced with Piercers. * In the menu description of The Commader: Evolved, * Cheiftain Lapidus's name is misspelled as "Lepidus". His name's correct spelling is confirmed in the in-game datapads and dialogue. Gallery Brute shot jiralhanae.png Brute plasma rifle jiralhanae.png|Brute wielding a Brute Plasma Rifle Shredder brutes.png|Brute Followers with Shredders 13516210_742859032483151_1475434145186601592_n.jpg|Brute Follower with a Commander 13516343_742859869149734_7428018915110781557_n.jpg|A Brute War Shrine with a group of Brutes and Jackals nearby deadbrutecommander.png|Dead Brute Commander Category:The Covenant Category:Covenant Species